Page 79 of Wyoming True

THEYWENTBACKHOME. Jake lifted her out of the car with Fred at the wheel and carried her into the house.

He paused at the front door to kiss her, very gently. “Mrs. McGuire,” he teased softly.

She smiled back and tucked her face under his chin. “You smell nice,” she murmured as he carried her back to her bedroom.

“So do you, angel.” He put her gently down onto the cover. “Maude left us cold cuts for later. I’m so full of cake I could barely drink coffee, but I’ll make some if you’ll drink it with me,” he added.

“I’d love some,” she said.

Wolf came in the door, panting a little because the heat had been turned up. Butler trotted along behind him and bounced up onto the bed to butt his head against Ida. She petted him absently and then smoothed her hand over Wolf’s head. “Thanks for letting Butler sleep inside,” she murmured.

“He’s a member of the family, just like Wolf. Wolf lives inside, too, you know,” he added. His eyes went over her slowly, like caressing fingers. “You were the most beautiful bride. I suppose the photographers got enough shots to last them for a month. One even said he’d thought about luring you out of the church with chocolates and flying you off to someplace exotic before the ceremony.”

She flushed and laughed. “My goodness.” She sighed. “I didn’t realize there would be so many reporters there,” she added. Her blue eyes twinkled. “But I noticed that they didn’t even get as far as the fellowship hall, thanks to our sheriff.”

“Cody had his deputies make a cordon around the church,” he confessed, chuckling. “Nobody got through it.”

“That was nice.” She cocked her head and smiled up at him. “Coffee?”

“Coming right up. Maybe we should change first.” His eyes swept over the wedding gown. “I’ve never seen a dress that pretty. It would be an heirloom...” He stopped short, turned and walked out the door.

Ida knew what he was thinking. The gown should be handed down, to a loved daughter. But their marriage wasn’t like that. There would be no children. She fought tears as she changed from her finery into jeans and a pink pullover sweater.

She went into the kitchen and sat down at the table, wincing a little. She’d been on her feet for a long time.

“Hip hurting?” he asked, not missing a thing.

“Just a few twinges,” she said and smiled to stop him from worrying.

He poured freshly perked coffee into two mugs and sat down at the table with her. “It’s been a long day,” he mused.

She nodded, blowing on her coffee before she tried a sip. Too hot. She put the mug back down. “But a nice one.”

“We’ll have a honeymoon later on,” he promised. “Anywhere you want to go.”

“Decisions, decisions,” she teased.

“Today, though, you rest. I’ve got some phone calls to make and I need to check on the livestock. Especially your horses.”

He’d brought the horses back from Ren Colter’s ranch a few days earlier, and he had two men, armed men, watching them.

“Bailey won’t try anything, will he?” she worried. “He hasn’t called me since his thug ran for the hills.”

“We can hope. But if he does, I’ll handle it,” he said firmly. “You’re safe here.”

She smiled. Her heart was running wild as she looked at him. “I know that, Jake.”

He finished his coffee. “I’d better get to work,” he said. He didn’t want to leave her, but he was having some issues. She was beautiful and every day his passion for her grew. He couldn’t afford to let the aching need get loose. She needed patience. Lots of patience. He smiled and left her at the table.

FORSEVERALDAYShe worked himself half to death on the ranch, doing jobs he could easily have delegated. Ida was beautiful. She worried about him, and that hurt, too. He’d been so cold to her at the beginning. He’d said things he wished he could take back. She made him hungry, and the ache just grew by the day. He didn’t know how to handle it. He was backing away and he could see the wounded look on her face when he did. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he couldn’t let himself get close. If he lost control, he’d do even more damage to her than her idiot ex-husband had.

Bailey hadn’t been in touch, but late one evening when Jake was in his office making business calls, Ida’s phone rang.

She answered it without thinking.

“Think you’re safe, don’t you, Mrs. McGuire?” Bailey’s angry voice chided in her ear. “I’ve got plans for you. Big plans. You’d better change your mind about that money. If you want to live, that is.”

He hung up. She was shivering with fear. Bailey had that effect on her. She wanted to run and tell Jake, but what good would it do? They already had protection all around the ranch. Jake was doing everything he could to keep her safe.

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